Fuse.



S. j. LEVEEN.

russ. 'APPLICATION man JAN. 7, 1914.

Paened Aug. 14, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

/Wmsesj UNITED srArns nageur OFFICE.

SWAN J. LEVEEN, F ROCK ISLAND, ILLHQ'OIS, ASSIGNOR TO TRIO MANUFACTRDQGCOMPANY, OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS, A CGRPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FUSE.

Speeicatien of Letters Patent.

To all whom z' may concern."

Be 1t lknown that I SWAN J. Lnvnnn a citizen of the United States,residing at` Rock Island, in the county of Rock .Island cessive fusiblemembers.

and State of Illinois, have invented certain new -anduseful Improvementsin F uses, of which the following is a specification.

' The present invention has reference to certain improvements ininclosed fuses, and particularly to improvements in inclosed fuses ofthe renewable type,'3tl1a.t is, of that type in which the fuse elementmay be replaced or renewed withoutithe necessity of rejecting ordestroying the terminal portions or members of thev fuse, thereby makingit possible to use these terminal portions or-members time after timewith snc- 'Ihe advantages resulting` from such an arrangement aremanifest, and, of course, include the feature of ysaving in cost ofreplacement when the fuse has blown. l

At the instant of rupture of the fusible element, gases are generated athigh temperature with the result that a considerable gas pressure isgenerated within the fuse cartridge, On account of the high temperaturegenerated at the instant of rupture it is very important to thesuccessful and ireA proof operation of the fuse-that the molten metalsand other materials should be securely retained within the cartridge soas to avoid the possibility7 of setting fire to adjacent structures.Furthermore, the fuse cartridges are frequently mounted on finelylinished and expensive switch-boards or otherstructures which might beseriously damaged or defaced if-the'cartridge were allowed to breakor'come apart during the circuit opening operation. r

Ithas been found a comparatively simple matter to construct the shell ofthe cartridge L ofl iire resisting fiber or theV like of sufhcientstrength to withstand the gas pressures generated 'at -high temperatureat the instant; of rupture, and eXperience'has shown that the'cartridgegenerally breaks down, ifat all, by blowing off the end portionsthereof.

This' is because. 'in the past, it has been diflii-cult orimpossible toIsecurely attachthe end portionsto the shelf in such a manner. thatresisting manner that' they will not blow out at the instant of rupture,thereby overcoming the diiculty or objection above noted. Nevertheless,to so construct and relate the parts that Ythe feature of renew*-ability shall in no `wise be impaired or les-A sened. In this connectionalso it is desired to produce a construction such that the completelyassembled cartridge cannot'be inserted into the terminal clips of theswitchboard, fuse block, or the like, until the end portions have beensecurely connected'to the shell, and a construction such that as longasthe cartridge remains connected into the terminal clips the endportions cannot become loosened or disengaged from the shell. In thisway. assurance will be had that the end portions must be securelyconnected to the shell before the cartridge can be connected into theterminal clips, and that as long as the cartridge remains connected intothe terminal clips such connection will be maintained. l

Another object of the inventionhas to do with the provision of acartridge construction such that the shock or pressure generated 'at theinstant of rupture, and underv abnormal conditions in-the circuit willbe lessened, thereby still further increasing the factor .of safety for'a given mechanical strength of the cartridge. When this fea-' turel isassociated or combined with the fea- -ture of increased mechanicalstrength Vob- Patented Aug. 14', 1917.-

ture it is desired to so construct the cartridg-ge that during. andafter the rupture the gases may escape provide such.- a constructionthat this escapll-j Will take place at a comparatively slow rate 'and ina safe manner so-that the escaping gases will not injure theswitch-board or other structure on whiei the fuse may be mounted. v

"in connection with the foregoing I.' will A. that a successfullyoperating inclosed if; rmistbe so'eonstructed that the dampenor'quenching powder will at all times ity surround-the fusible element soth at n the instant of rupture arrives the yvder may fall in area-indand against the 'j sing mass so as to quench or break up theconstruction l have alsol so constructed 'u' arranged the parts that thepowder will at all times snugly or ,closelycontaotand surround thefusible element.

Still another object of the invention has reference to they provision ofcertain imlprovementsin the indicating device whereby an indication isgiven as to'whet-her or not the fuse has been blown or remains intact.In this connection it is desired to produce Aa'construction suchf'that aldefinite indication will be "given, regardless of the exact position inwhich the fuse maybe mounted, whether.v horizontally or vertically, andwhether on the top, side, or bottom of a Switchboard orfthe like.

` Other objects and useswill appear from a detailed descriptionof theinvention'which consists in the lfeatures of construction andcombinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

Inthe drawings:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of one form of fuse structure embodyingfeatures of my invention; a corner of the cartridge 'beingcut awaytoshow the manner of attaching the fuse wire to one of the terminals;

Fig.'y Qvis a. longitudinal section taken on the line 9.-.2 of Fig. 1looking in the direction vofthe arrows;

Fig. 3 .is' aV detail sectional view of the the construction shown. inFigs. 1 and Q after rupture; showing how the plug may be driven outagainst the cap by thel gas pressure; A

Fig.y et is av=detail end view of a modified construction of cap, whichnevertheless embodies vcertain Aof the AtheV arrangement lof. Figs. 1

features disclosed in and 2; and is also construction employing sert-ionbetween `the terminal clips of t-he switchboard or other mounting;

Fig. 5 is a detail section taken onthe line from the cartridge, but toat'many points and throughout its enlire length. Therefore, inconnectionwith "ze feature of providing an expansion space Ais asbestos wool;inasmuch as this is 'resisting material. of

blades for in-V l 'stant of rupture 'to leak .or seep :5e-dof Fig. 4looking in the direction of the arrows; i

Fig. G is a detail section ta en on the line 6 6 of Fig. LL looking inthe directionof the arrows; l

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a modified construction of fuse embodyingcertain of the features of invention disclosed in Figs. 1 to (iinclusive` the fuse construction shown in Fig. 7 being of the ferruldtype;

Fig. 8 is a detail section taken ou the line S--B of Fig. T looking inthe direction of the arrows;

Fig. 9l is a detail section taken on the line 9--9 of Fig. 8 looking inthe direction of the arrows; and l Fig. 10 is a side view of ay modifiedform of fusible element, the same being made of a single strip includingthe end tern'iinals, instead of beingv in the form of a built-up strip;such as those previously illustrated.

l will first describe the construction illust-rated in Figs. l. '2 and3, and will then describe the several modifications; pointing outwherein the features of invention are to be found in each.

The body portion of the fuse comprises a shell or the like 1-2 which ispreferably cylindrical in form and may be made of any suitablefire-resisting insulating material, such as fiber, paper or the like.The fusible element 13 extends lengthwise within this shell., and said'element may be composed of a fusible body portion 1i electricallyconnected to terminal portions 15 and 1G; as

. the scope of my invention the use of either of these forms, except asl may limi-t myself 1n the clainn although as will presently appear forsome purposes it would be preferable to have the end portions 15 and 16made from a stronger material than the body portion 1li.

The central portion of the shell 12 is filled with powder 2O of anydesirable composition; number of which powders are fan'iiliar to the artand are in general use.' The end portions of the shellare plugged as atA21 and to retain the powder properly in the shell; the end portions ofthe fuse member extendinke.` through these plugs. A desirable form ofmaterial for use in making the plugs a fire sufficiently close textureor body to hold the. powder in position, but nevertheless ofsu'lieiently porous structure to allow the gases generated at theinthrough and to thus escape.

In ythe arrangement shown' in Figs. l-G

inclusive` rivets or the like 23 areextended through the shell andthrough the body or l the end portions of the fuse member, .there bylocking the fuse member in position within the shell, and ysecurelyretaining the endportions in position to effectively resist tensionveven when the body portion'l of the fuse has been ruptured. lt ispreferred that each of these rivets hare its end provided with a notchor the like 2l, so that after the rivet has been placed in position itmaybe upset and thus securely held against pulling out in eitherdirection. On account ofthis upsetting it will be apparent that'if anyattempt be made to remove the rivet thel shellwill b e torn and thusdestroyed, This is an important consideration when the fuse is to vbeused in some localities, inasmuch as the underwriters specicationsfrequently provide against a refilling of the shell itself.. If theshell were to be refilled this fact could be readily detected by an eX-amination' of the shell which would show the torn portions or placesWhere the rivets had been Withdrawn.

On each end of the shell there is removably mounted a cap orthe like25,- the flanges 26 whereof .preferably extend down along the body ofthe shell far enough to inclose the ends of the rivets so as to protectuand hide the same by covering them. A pair of angles 27 and 28 arecarried by each cap,

ltheir shorter arms' 29 preferably lying against the inner surface ofthe caps, while their longer arms 30 land 31 ext-end out through slotsinthe endsof the caps. These longer arms are adapted lto lie Hat againstthe opposite sides of the end portions oi the fusible member to therebygrip .the same be- `*tween them, and to provide firm electrical contactwith them. Rivets or the like 32 serve to secure the angle arms to thecaps, but it is preferred that the caps be provided with somewhat.elongated slots or the lilre 33 so that the rivets may have a slightamount of play with respect to the caps. This will enable the angles toadjust themselves nicely, so that a firm even Contact against theendportions of the fusible mem-A I the arrangement shown 'in l, 2, and 3,

nber will be secured.

In. one form of 4the invention, that disclosed in Figs. l, 2, and 3, lemploy the arms 30 and 3l, or one or both of them, tor the purpose ofsecuring a secure unyielding connection between the caps and theendportions of the f-usiblemember. lnasmuch as the end portions olf' thefusible members are securely riveted to thel shell it will be apparentthat if the caps inl turn be lsecured to said end portions the caps willalso be" securely connected to the shell so that they will f be enabledto withstand the gas pres sures created .atthe instant of rupture. In

the end portions of the Afusible member, and"75 when thus seated willretain thecaps against endwise removal. Nevertheless by reason ofthesomewhat loose rivetedfconnections the arms 30 and 3l of said angles areallowed a sucient movement to permit them to spread apart when the capsare to be mounted in position on or to be removed from the shell. Itwill be seen, however, that as long as thel arms 30 and 3l aremaintained in operative or working position, such as that shown in Fig.2, as for example when they are inserted between the terminal clips of'afuse block, the caps cannot be removed and consequently are enabled toeffectively resist the gas pressures. 90

As a simple means of providing the eX- pansion space or chamber, whichwas previously referred to. l seat the plugs 21 and 22 a slight distanceinward from the endsy of the shell so that the spaces 37v are pro- 95vided between the plugs and the caps. When the gas pressure occasionedby the rupture. of the fuse rises to a sumcient value the plugs will beforced outward against their respective caps, so that the volume orspace' which the gas occupies is allowed to correspondingly increase.The amount of this increase of volume will in some cases be augmented'also by reason of compression yol" the plugs s' themselves after theyhave been jammed against the caps, inasmuch' as the plugs may be made ofcompressible material, such as asbestos wool.

After the gases have been generated it is desired to allow them tolescape in such a manner that they will not harm or,` injure" the fusepanel vor otherl device on'which the fuse may be mounted. For thispurpose the. caps are preferably perforated in their end walls so thatthe 'gases can seep or work out throughthe perforations. Asa convenientmode of construction to accomplish this re'- sult the rivets 32 may beperforated as at 38. s When the plugs 2l andV 22`ha've `beenfdriven outagainst their caps they will serve 'to seal the cracks whichmay existaround the caps to some'extent, but nevertheless the gases will asliding plate or the like 39 sets onto the end of the cap, being held inplace by reason of the engagement of the rivets with the elongated slots40 of the plate. The central portion of this plate is provided with anopening 41, one side of which is broader than the other. As shown inFig. 6, the end portions of the fusible member are shouldered as at 42,so that when the plate 39 is moved over into the position shown in Fig.4 the narrower portion of the opening 41 will be brought into positionand thus the plate will 'seat beneath the shoulders 42 and will lock thecap against removal from the end of the fusible member.

The construction shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9, embodies the features ofinvention previously described, but this construction is of the ferruletype. In this case each end of the fusible member is provided with ashouldered pin 43 through which the rivets Q3 previously described arepassed. In this case also the caps are provided with collars or the like44 which are threaded to takel onto the pins 43 in the manner best shownin Figs. 8 and 9. These collars 44 preferably extend inward somedistance to seat against the plugs 21 and 2'2 and to provide the'expansion spaces 37.' In thisl case also the end portions of the capsare to be provided with the holes 45 through which the gases are allowedto escape.

It will be seenfrom the foregoing that in eac-h of the hereinillustrated arrange- `ments the end portions of the fusible member aresecurely riveted or otherwise connected` to the shell, in such a mannerthat they are able to effectively resist end pull. Furthermore, in eachcase the construction is such that the rivets or other connections maybel extended through the shell at a point some distance inward from theends thereofso as to provide an extremely firm and secure connectionwhicli will not tear out'under pressure. Also in each of the foregoingarrangements theend caps are retained against pullin away by reason ofengagement with the enfgl portions of the fusible member.

ments a small fuse wire 46 is shunted across that portion of the fusiblemember which fusible member opens the entirel current will beconcentrated on the fine fuse wire 46. In

consequence such wire will be blown almost instantly. In order to givean indication as to the condition of the main fusible member,

Iv mount a bead or the like 47 on the fuse wire 46, said bead preferablyrest-ing within an pocket or socket 48 of the shell, as best showninFigs. l and 8. It is preferred that after the fuse cartridge has beenmade up a label or the like be pasted or otherwise vse,-

cured over the fuse wire 46 throughbgtitslength with the exception ofthatfortipn' fore, the tendency will`v for the fuse wire to openvigorously at thepoint where it supports the bead, thereby generating aquantity of gas within the socket or pocket 48. This will blow the beadout from suchpocket with considerable force, so that the bead will bedisplaced regardless of whether the fuse be mounted horizontally orvertically, and regardless of whether or not the bead be on the top orbottom' side of the fuse, if the same be mounted horizontally.A

From the foregoing disclosuresit will be apparent that in each case theend caps are connected securely tothe shell, so that said caps cannot beblown voff 'or otherwise removed from the shell except by disconnect-Vnot individually connected `to the shell it will be evident that theycould be blown out or become otherwise displaced as soon as the fusiblemember had been severed, and, therefore, the independent or individualconnection lof the two end portions to the shell is important to theobtaining of a secure connection between each cap and the correspondinend of the shell.

t will also be' seen from the foregoing disclosures that I haveprovided'such a constructiai that thec'aps cannot be disconnected fromthe shell until the terminal portions of the fuse have been removed fromtheir respective terminal clips, and such that said l terminal ortionscannot be inserted int the In each of the herein described arrange. p o

terminal clips until a proper connection is effected between the capsand the shell. Both of these features are important in a device of thiskind for thiA purpose of insuring a proper and satisfactory operationfor the various purposes intended.

I do not limit myself to .the constructions herein disclosed, except@ asI may do so in the claim, but I contemplate within the scope of myinvention any equivalentconstructions operating in equivalent manners toproduce.

'equivalent results.

I claim: As a new article of manufacture an .in-

closed fuse comprising a cylindrical shell of fire resisting material, afuse plate extending beyond each end of the shell, a pin connection.from each fuse plaie mt 1e shella isble member joining the fuse pla testogezhe', a removable cap closing each end of the shell, clips on eachcap adapted to lie aga-inst the side faces of the adjacent-J fuse plate7and means for rigidly connecting each cap to the adjacent fuse plate,substantially as de scribeoll HERY C. Sonn-TER, S. C. GQLBMAN.

